You are the sum of your yesterdays

Your past is who makes you who you are. That is why education and upbringing are so important, because they help create who we are. Some of it is genetic, some of it is environmental, but the environmental aspects cannot be understated. That is why socialization is so important and vital.

No. Everyone controls their own destiny.

No. Everyone has the ability to make choices that directly impact the kind of person they will grow up to be. You hear stories every day of how people have turned their situation around to become a successful contributor to society. Stories are also told of how someone that seems to have everything is able to ruin their life in one way or another.